The never-ending misery of murdered journalist mother

2018-12-05 12:56:38

Snur Abdulkarim, the mother of Kawa Garmiyani, in her house on 3 December 2018. Photo: Zhino Khalil

By Zhino Khalil - Kalar

Her face tells it all. With a black garment, a sign of suffering, she is crawled in the corner of her house. One mention of his oldest son is enough to renew the memory of him, sobbing follows shortly. Snur Abdulkarim rarely visits anyone or goes anywhere. The only place she to give some ease of the mind the grave of her beloved son.

The mother of Kawa Garmiyani --a journalist assassinated in his home -- said to Peregraf, "I haven't been anywhere for five years, but only his grave. I visit his grave four days a week. I don't allow my children to know, and go alone, and speak to him."

Kawa Garmiyani was the editor-in-chief of a local Rayal magazine, assassinated on 5 December 2013. Her mother, a 59-year old, looks much older now, "I wish I was mute and would not call him out. If I were not to call him, he would not be killed."

The day Garmiyani was killed, he was home. Some people knocked at the door, asked his mother to call her son. Unsuspecting mother calls his son out, and he was killed in front of his eyes.

Snur on her son's grave in Kalar. The photo was taken from the facebook page of Kawa Garmiyani

That day, Garmiyani was writing a new piece, when it was dark, he had some guests. When the guests went their way, a man knocked at the door, "Auntie, I'm friends with Kawa. Can you call him for me?" She did immediately.

"I was with Kawa in the yard, and bullets surrounded us," she said, "A bullet burned my scarf. When I turned to Kawa, he was fallen on the ground, soaked in blood."

As if she carries the shock of that moment, she asks, "Why was he killed and who killed him?"

Snur describes her son as "a butterfly", a term Kurdish people use when they want to someone is harmless, "He never hurt anyone."

After his assassination, someone was arrested and confessed for the crime. The court sentenced him to death. However, the family of Garmiyani suspect authorities to be behind the murder. They are not convinced.

Garmiyani, the oldest child of the family, had two brothers and three sisters. His father died in a car accident when Garmiyani was only six, raised by his mother since then.

Recalling later moments, Snur said, "I cried: Kawa is killed. Shirin [Garmiyani's wife] and my daughter came out." She later runs out to call for neighbours, "I saw the killer get on his car and fled."

Shirin Garmiyani, the wife of Kawa Garmiyani, became a lawmaker on Gorran's list, an opposition party, in the September of 2018. She earned the highest amount of votes among female candidates of parliament.

Shirin and Amed, the wife and son of Garmiyani enter Kurdistan region's parliament on 6 November 2018

Snur says they recall the moments with Garmiyani's wife, Shirin, and cry, "The wound never gets old."

Garmiyani's son was born 17 days after he was killed. On Garmiyani's recommendation, he was named Amed. Now Amed is five, in the kindergarten.

Although sad, his mother says his son is the source of pride as well, "I feel as if Kawa is the son of all Garmiyan [a vast area north of Diyala]." However, she said, she would never take off mourning costume. In the end, she raised her head to the sky, asking God for a recourse.

The never-ending misery of murdered journalist mother

2018-12-05 12:56:38

By Zhino Khalil - Kalar

Her face tells it all. With a black garment, a sign of suffering, she is crawled in the corner of her house. One mention of his oldest son is enough to renew the memory of him, sobbing follows shortly. Snur Abdulkarim rarely visits anyone or goes anywhere. The only place she to give some ease of the mind the grave of her beloved son.

The mother of Kawa Garmiyani --a journalist assassinated in his home -- said to Peregraf, "I haven't been anywhere for five years, but only his grave. I visit his grave four days a week. I don't allow my children to know, and go alone, and speak to him."

Kawa Garmiyani was the editor-in-chief of a local Rayal magazine, assassinated on 5 December 2013. Her mother, a 59-year old, looks much older now, "I wish I was mute and would not call him out. If I were not to call him, he would not be killed."

The day Garmiyani was killed, he was home. Some people knocked at the door, asked his mother to call her son. Unsuspecting mother calls his son out, and he was killed in front of his eyes.

Snur on her son's grave in Kalar. The photo was taken from the facebook page of Kawa Garmiyani

That day, Garmiyani was writing a new piece, when it was dark, he had some guests. When the guests went their way, a man knocked at the door, "Auntie, I'm friends with Kawa. Can you call him for me?" She did immediately.

"I was with Kawa in the yard, and bullets surrounded us," she said, "A bullet burned my scarf. When I turned to Kawa, he was fallen on the ground, soaked in blood."

As if she carries the shock of that moment, she asks, "Why was he killed and who killed him?"

Snur describes her son as "a butterfly", a term Kurdish people use when they want to someone is harmless, "He never hurt anyone."

After his assassination, someone was arrested and confessed for the crime. The court sentenced him to death. However, the family of Garmiyani suspect authorities to be behind the murder. They are not convinced.

Garmiyani, the oldest child of the family, had two brothers and three sisters. His father died in a car accident when Garmiyani was only six, raised by his mother since then.

Recalling later moments, Snur said, "I cried: Kawa is killed. Shirin [Garmiyani's wife] and my daughter came out." She later runs out to call for neighbours, "I saw the killer get on his car and fled."

Shirin Garmiyani, the wife of Kawa Garmiyani, became a lawmaker on Gorran's list, an opposition party, in the September of 2018. She earned the highest amount of votes among female candidates of parliament.

Shirin and Amed, the wife and son of Garmiyani enter Kurdistan region's parliament on 6 November 2018

Snur says they recall the moments with Garmiyani's wife, Shirin, and cry, "The wound never gets old."

Garmiyani's son was born 17 days after he was killed. On Garmiyani's recommendation, he was named Amed. Now Amed is five, in the kindergarten.

Although sad, his mother says his son is the source of pride as well, "I feel as if Kawa is the son of all Garmiyan [a vast area north of Diyala]." However, she said, she would never take off mourning costume. In the end, she raised her head to the sky, asking God for a recourse.